What Do You Think?
![]() ![]()
Does Class Size Matter?
![]()
CSR Research Consortium, a partnership researching California's class size reduction, has released their Year 4 findings, which state:
~ Implementation of CSR occurred rapidly, although it lagged in schools serving minority and low-income students ~ the relationship of CSR to student achievement was inconclusive ~ CSR was associated with declines in teacher qualifications and a more inequitable distribution of credentialed teachers ~ Students in reduced size third-grade classes received more individual attention, but similar instruction and curriculum. ~ Parents liked reduced size classes ~ Classroom space and dollars were taken from other programs to support CSR Recommendations: ~ Improve the effectiveness of the current CSR program by integrating and aligning it with other reforms..Integrating CSR into the state's evolving standards-based reform policy could significantly bolster California's ability to meet its objective of improving student achievement. ~ Further explore why and how CSR works by identifying best instructional practices in small classes. ~ Before undertaking any statewide effort to expand CSR to additional grades, policymakers should ensure the state has sufficient facilities and qualified teachers ~ Be explicit to the field about the assumptions underlying state reimbursement of CSR, while also taking steps to determine the real costs as well as the cost-effectiveness of CSR. "Size Matters" in Teacher Magazine March 2004 by John Gehring |